Dipping Into Comics: The Story of a Newb

09 January 2015

I'm a comic newbie*. Until the last few months, I found
comics--and, by extension, graphic novels--a completely foreign entity,
something I either wasn't interested in or wasn't capable of understanding. The
comics world seemed tight-knit, exclusionary, full of insider baseball, and to
an outsider like me, it was impossible to tell where to start. Or why I'd even
want to.

That's not to say I'd never read a comic before coming to this
conclusion: I read (and adored) Bill Willingham's stunningly imaginative Fables
series years ago. Someone along the line had also pressedWatchmen, that much-loved
classic of comics, into my hands, and I devoured it in just a few days. I even
volunteered at the Titan Books booth at New York Comic Con and got to a) go to
NYCC and b) meet Dave Gibbons (and have him sign my copy ofWatchmen).

But somehow, those felt like exceptions to a rule rather than the
start of something new.

Over the last year, though, comics have started to issue a siren
song I've found impossible to ignore. I discovered that my local library
carries theSaga series,
and I moved from the first three trade volumes of that to Brian K. Vaughan's
other two series:Y: The Last
Man andEx Machina.
I triedRat Queens (which
I didn't love as much as the rest of the internet) and read all six volumes ofSweet Tooth in one morning
(I cried at the end).

What this new-to-me dive into comics has taught me, though, is not
just that there are some epically wonderful series in the comics world. It's
that my entire concept of comics was wrong:

The Comics Culture

Comics people are not exclusionary. With very few exceptions, I
have found that what I once took to be clique-like and full of insider baseball
is actually just a series of rare and enviable instances of a community of
people finding "their people." And this community is always looking
for--and willing to help indoctrinate--new members.

The staff at my local comics, for example: pretty freaking
awesome. Awesome and willing to spend 15 minutes walking you (me) through the
store to find just the right new series based on the limited experience you've
had so far. They know their stuff, but they don't lord their knowledge over
you: that knowledge is there for the sharing.

Comics Change the Way You Read

You have to learn to read the pictures.I've gotten better at this, though I admit I still finding
myself reading only the dialogue in a desperate attempt tofind out what happens, and
thereby realize I've missed the incredible artwork on the page. Reading comics
has taught me to read more slowly, and to savor the page. I've also found the
urge to re-read--something I do occasionally with my most favorite of novels
and non-fiction books, but not often--is ten times more prominent in my comics
reading: once I know what happens, I want to go back and revel in the beauty of
each page.

You have to learn to appreciate a story in small episodes.Whether you read individual issues or trade volumes, comics
come in episodes. I'm used to reading multiple books at one time, so theidea of enjoying multiple
series--and therefore multiple storylines--in one time period, albeit over the
course of several weeks or months, is not foreign to me. It’s still not easy,
but learning to appreciate this style of reading is enjoyable in and of itself.

It’s OK to Admit What You
Don’t Know

I don’t know all the most famous, most iconic, most important
comic series in history.

I don’t know how to set up a pull list. I only vaguely know what a
pull list is.

I don’t know if I like reading individual issues, or if I will
continue to read all trade editions.

I don’t know what other series I should be reading.

I don’t even know what else I don’t know.

And that’s ok. Because comics (and reading in general, I’d argue),
are about more than being an expert in something.
They’re about being an expert in trying new things, experimenting with new
ideas and formats and approaches and styles and art and beauty and
what-have-you, and going into it all with an open mind.

---

*Newbie as in new-to-something, not to be confused with noob/n00b/noobie, which I've learned has a slightly different meaning (and definitely different connotation).

I've started getting into comics, too! I love Saga, but haven't gotten as into Y: The Last Man. Marvel's Runaways (the earlier years) is a great series if you like Brian K. Vaughan. I haven't checked out Sweet Tooth but I will add it to my (growing list). You might want to check out Lumberjanes, Ms. Marvel (the new one with Kamala!), and The Wicked + The Divine...possibly Planetary and Manhattan Projects, though my experience with those is somewhat limited!

I love this post. Until about a year ago, my understanding of comics was that "comics are about superheroes and meant for adolescent boys." It's been pretty exciting to see people I know, whose opinions I trust, talk about comics in ways I didn't expect. I never thought I would be interested in comics, but I've slowly been dipping my toes in the water and really enjoying it! I loved Sex Criminals (vol. 1) and want to read Ms. Marvel and Lumberjanes.

I don't like reading single issues. There just isn't enough in one issue for me to get really excited; I need more story in order to feel invested. I think trades work better for me, but I'm excited to keep exploring!

Writing for Panels has been such a new and amazing experience. In fact, now I'm thinking I might need to do a post on this. My first post for them was about coming to comics via academia as an older reader (in my 20s at the time...but still older than many comics fans). It can definitely be intimidating to enter such a tight knit community, but I've also found out how ENTHUSIASTIC comics readers are about sharing their passion. Glad you'd finding more in this realm that interests you!

It's so awesome when you're able to start feeling some ownership over comics as a medium! I hope you keep on reading amazing comics so you can tell me about them. I've read some brilliant ones, but am always on the lookout for more.

I'll certainly keep writing about those I find! So far Saga and Fables have been my favorites, but I haven't gone much past those. I've heard good things about Ms. Marvel, and gotten a few other recommendations via Twitter, so I expect to read more in the coming weeks and months!

Yes! I knew of a few exceptions to that assumption (Fables, mostly), but I always thought those were exceptions, not the norm--now I realize they are more the norm, with superheroes for adolescent boys being the exception. I really want to read Sex Criminals, but my library doesn't have them in circ and I'm trying (not necessarily succeeding...) not to buy more books...

Love Saga, can't wait to read the fourth volume that came out in December. I find comics really exciting. When you're first introduced to them it's like tapping into a world full of stories that most people unfortunately don't get to experience, and as long as you can get comfortable with the medium, there's something for everyone.

Love this post. My very first comic was Watchmen and I just loved it. Maus was my second and it was even better. Since then I've fallen for Persepolis, French Milk, and so many others. You're right though, it's a different form of storytelling and it takes some getting use to.

Great post! I only started reading comics a few years ago after the first batch of Marvel movies came out. Read a lot from Marvel (Thor: God of Thunder, Hawkeye under Matt Fraction), some DC (thanks to my brother), and more recently Fables. I also checked out the first volume of Saga and absolutely enjoyed it! I'd love to read more series outside of the familiar superhero titles, there's a lot of wonderful stories and titles out there...